Majority of women who undergo abortion do no feel guilty at all.
Abortion does not trigger guilt or any form of emotional burden to women, a study published in PLOS ONE suggests.
"Certainly, experiencing feelings of guilt or regret in the short-term after an abortion is not a mental health problem; in fact, such emotions are a normal part of making a life decision that many women in this study found to be difficult," the study explained.
For this research, experts from the University of California interviewed around 1,000 women from January 2008 to December 2010 who decided to go through abortion in one of 30 different centers throughout the United States. An overwhelming 95% of them said that they did not feel any regret with their decision.
"Women also experienced reduced emotional intensity over time: the feelings of relief and happiness experienced shortly after the abortion tended to subside, as did negative emotions. Notably, we found no differences in emotional trajectories or decision rightness between women having earlier versus later procedures," the authors continued.
"Our results of declining emotional intensity... [find] steady or improving levels of self-esteem, life satisfaction, stress, social support, stress, substance use, and symptoms of depression and anxiety over time post-abortion."
Data from the Guttmacher Institute revealed that 4 out of 10 unwanted pregnancies end up in abortion. The over-all trend on abortion is declining but it is prevalent among women from low-income group, with the incidence increasing.
The researchers suggested for further studies to qualify their initial conclusion given that the sample size is not enough to warrant a solid finding.
According to the researchers, strong emotional support from family and peers are crucial so that pregnant women remain positive in their outlook throughout pregnancy.
Abortion is allowed in all states the laws specify that a woman should be between 24 and 26 weeks pregnant to undergo the procedure.
